This story is getting bigger and bigger. Even though most Americans probably already knew, it is now official: the United States government, through its National Security Agency, is collecting the communications and data of all American citizens, and of non-Americans using American services, through a wide collaboration with the large companies in technology, like Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and so on. Interestingly enough, the NSA itself, as well as the US government, have repeatedly and firmly denied this massive spying on Americans and non-Americans took place at all.

"What's most peculiar is that the companies involved in PRISM all deny being part of it. The Washington Post contacted the companies involved, and Facebook and Apple said they have no knowledge of the program, and thus are not involved with it - which is odd, because the official government documentation clearly mentioned them."

If you parse the legalese what it basically says that acknowledging that you even know this agreement exists to anyone outside of the participants in the court order (the NSA and the FBI) is a breach of the court order.

In other words any company complying with this order is bound by law to say that they are not aware of it. Even admitting to the public that the order exists is breaching it...